Based on its research profile, LMU promotes internationally outstanding research through LMUexcellent. In doing so, the University increases its visibility worldwide, intensifies cooperation with partners in science and economy, and develops new fields of research. A central element of this strategy is the creation of flexible recruitment models.
The creation of flexible recruitment models is of crucial importance to LMU's overall strategy, aimed at strengthening established areas of research, rapidly developing new scientific fields, and recruiting outstanding academics. To this end, LMU establishes tailored recruitment models within the framework of LMUexcellent allowing the University to conduct outstanding appointments to professorships in strategically important fields of research independently of current vacancies.
LMU will thus be able to recruit excellent academics, using standard as well as proactive appointment procedures. In doing so, a particular focus will be given to targets aimed at the promotion of equal opportunities, internationalization, and the recruitment of “rising stars”. In addition to LMU’s funding as University of Excellence, the implementation of its recruitment strategy also benefits significantly from additional professorships provided to the University by the Free State of Bavaria as part of the state government’s Hightech Agenda Bayern. Moreover, LMU's successful Tenure Track Model has been further strengthened by the procurement of additional funding within the framework of the Joint Federal Government-Länder Programme for Junior Academics (WISNA).
In order to facilitate the strategic allocation of the professorships funded by LMUexcellent, by Hightech Agenda Bayern and by the WISNA program, in 2020 the University Governing Board initiated a wide-ranging Strategy Process together with LMU’s faculties.
LMUexcellent is focused on establishing competitive framework conditions for top-level research.
The Investment Fund provides seed funding for the procurement of large-scale third-party funding projects directed at innovative research ideas and the establishment of new research fields.
The Junior Researcher Fund promotes the individual career development of junior academics (who have gained no more than six years of professional academic experience since having completed their doctorate) by providing support for the independent procurement of externally funded and peer-reviewed research projects, particularly of prestigious research prizes and awards directed at junior academics.
The Frontier Fund supports, on the one hand, investments in cutting-edge research instrumentation or other equipment required for the development of new fields of research, particularly in the context of appointments of outstanding academics. On the other hand, the Frontier Fund supports the establishment of platforms for innovative research approaches and methodologies:
The Center for Leadership and People Management offers training courses for staff development, complemented by coordinated consultation services offered by other units, ranging from research, teaching, and interdisciplinary competencies to the preparation of third-party funding applications.
As a comprehensive research-intensive university, LMU promotes interdisciplinary networking activities for the development of new research ideas. The University is interconnected with numerous outstanding partners, both internationally and in the Munich area.
The Center for Advanced Studies (CAS) acts as a forum of interdisciplinary as well as international scientific exchange. Thus, CAS supports networking activities among outstanding researchers at LMU as well as the involvement and integration of visiting researchers.
In select international key cooperations, LMU fosters new forms of collaboration in research as well as close institutional contacts. In order to promote and institutionalize sustainable research collaboration with selected partners, LMU provides funding for joint research projects as well as targeted support to academics organizing interdisciplinary workshops and conferences.
LMU has established the ONE MUNICH Strategy Forum together with TUM. The Forum’s aim is to identify and promote joint initiatives on major challenges and research fields of the future. In addition to the two universities, the Forum also includes non-university research institutions as well as partners from business and industry.